


In The Ash

by Mistress_Kalamity



Category: Palo Alto (2013)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-12
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-26 00:48:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4983403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistress_Kalamity/pseuds/Mistress_Kalamity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Teddy is always there for Fred.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In The Ash

He holds the cigarette in between his fingers. He knew that Fred had issues but his extreme anxiety disorder...that was a bit far fetched for his mind to wrap itself around. He felt like this was something new he didn’t want to add to his roster of problems he had to deal with but his heart told him something different. He loved Fred. The way he get excited to go to parties or the way he brought up weird pot induced scenarios for Teddy to debunk. He was happy.

He knew something was wrong though. The way Fred would slip into these dark moments and he’d get increasingly violent. He’d smoke more and he’d swear more. Teddy only wanted to know why. His dad was a smoker too and he didn’t think it’d lead to any problems at home. He only thought of that moment when he smoked with the older male. He felt like he was being hit on by the guy. His body shuddered at the memory.

He didn’t hear Fred stomping out of the loud house, screaming at the top of his lungs until he was literally 2 feet away. Teddy put the cigarette out under his shoe and turned to face his friend.

“Are you alright, man?”

“No, all those people don’t understand! What’s so fucking wrong with having a guy blow you? It’s just like having one of these skanks do it! Ugh, can we just go buy some weed man?”

Teddy shrugs his shoulders and follows Fred to the car. He can see that his friend is messed up and angry now wouldn’t be a time to tell him that he agrees. He can’t tell him how he feels. He sees the hilt of a kitchen knife in his pocket. He only watches the lights pass the window and thinks of all the shit he could get into if he’s caught.

“Man, if you were egyptian, what would you be?”

“A pharaoh,” Teddy answers without much thought.

“Dude, you can’t be a fucking pharaoh!”

“Why not? You said egyptian and pharaohs were egyptian.”

Fred didn’t reply, he just stared ahead as he drove. Teddy knew that he was having one of his moments but he didn’t say anything. They spot Skull and Fred pulls over. Teddy watches as Fred stands by and looks right at Skull with a menacing gaze. He didn’t know what was going through his mind. They paid and took a few pulls from Skull’s blunt.

“Hey Skull, can I use this and peel your face off so your nickname makes sense?” Fred asks.

“What the fuck man?!”

Teddy quickly grabs the knife from Fred and chucks it into the car window. Fred only looks at Teddy and sinks to the ground. Both men watch as Fred starts to cry, his body shakes and he coughs with each sob. 

“Yo, get the fuck out of here if you’re gonna do that shit man.”

Teddy pulls Fred to his feet and drags him to the car. He couldn’t begin to think of all the things that could be bothering him. The drove for a few hours until they stopped at a empty park. Fred rushes from the car and sits beneath a tree. Teddy runs up to join him. They both light up cigarettes and Fred leans his head against the hard tree. The smoke rings around them and calms the crazed thoughts in their heads.

“Teddy, can I tell you something in confidence?”

“Sure, anything.”

Fred’s body shudders again and he drops the cig into the wet, dewy grass. He coughs again and sighs.

“I don’t know what’s worse, knowing that you’re gay or knowing that the reason you discovered this was because your dad tried to fuck you!”

“What?!”

Fred lets out another sob and turns to Teddy. 

“I got really fucked up and passed out on the couch. My dad came in and climbs on top of me. I woke up and he was trying to unbutton my pants, I kicked his ass off and bolted out of there.”

“Jeez, did you call the cops?”

“Tsk, sure, I’d do that, they’d lock my ass up for being high and drunk.”

He curls up into a little ball and Teddy recognizes that he’s having a panic attack. He gently pulls him into his body and rocks him back and forth. He kisses his forehead and tries his hardest to pull him back to reality. When Fred is still, he pulls away and looks right at Teddy. 

“I love you man,” Fred says.

Teddy is surprised at first but soon he pushes him down on the wet grass and they start to kiss. That’s as far as it goes because they hear the cops coming to check the park. He takes his hand and they run back to the car. Teddy takes the wheel and let’s Fred sit in the passenger seat. He can see him still visibly shaking. He decides in that moment that Fred is coming to his house. He takes the broken teen up to his room, letting him sit on the floor. 

Fred starts to rock back and forth again, the beginnings of a new panic attack. Two in one day that’s not normal for him. Teddy doesn’t want him to start to disassociate, so he gently kneels down next to him and pulls him into a hug. 

“I’m here, it’s okay,” Teddy coos.

He places gentle kisses on his cheek and lips, hoping that’ll help. Fred soon looks up and brushes some of Teddy’s hair from his face.

“T---Teddy? Don’t you ever leave me, please?”

“Never, I’ll never you.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”


End file.
